Some friends of mine are in Portland this weekend and they're (of course) raving about the great bar scene. One comment that they made was that it was really nice to go out as a group and not be constantly harassed by a server. Does anyone have any comments on this matter? Even though servers here tend to be pretty friendly and competent (so my issue isn't with the servers themselves) it's like they're instructed to obsessively harass patrons. Thoughts? Does it somehow have to do with our liquor laws? Do managers think we like being harassed? Also, why does every freakin' bar in this city insist on playing obnoxiously loud music so that you can only talk to the person next to you and only if you yell? (I have read studies that indicate that people drink more when the music is loud.) At least they're all starting to sell great beer and you can actually get pretty good pub food at 11pm at a lot of places.

I was going to ask the same question about the definition of harassed, I don't think I have ever felt that way being in a large group out and about. In fact more than once the wait staff has ended up hanging out with us when their shift is done :P

Yes, this. I'd rather have a server come by every once and a while to see if everything is OK, rather than spend ten minutes with an empty glass or waiting for my bill. I've never been bothered by a server.

Oh god, the music! So loud, I can't believe it's safe. And it makes it impossible to have a conversation with your friends, or try and meet people. People probably drink more because there is nothing else to do--you certainly can't have a conversation.

On that note, are there bars/pubs where it s quieter, and possible to have conversations with people, thus possible meet people and talk to them?

I agree. Even the pubs are too loud to hear anyone else. Maybe there should be a law about how loud it can be in a pub. And if the customers find it bad, what about the people working there? Do any of them have hearing loss because of the environment?

It's really frustrating when you need something and you can not find your server or flag them down for ages, so you sit with an empty drink, no napkins, no cutlery, whatever. Of course you don't want someone asking how you're doing every ten seconds, especially when your mouth is full of food, and they walk away because you can't answer and you do desperately need something. But it's nice to have a server check in once in a while, or at least make themselves available for you to flag down.

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